Wounded service man braves injuries to support Help for Heroes

Jonathon Le Galloudec has recently climbed to Everest base-camp to raise money for the charity Help for Heroes. This is despite having been shot in the spine during a tour of Basra and told that he would be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. His inspirational story will hopefully encourage others to follow his example. rnService men and women endure some tough conditions in their jobs. They have to be at the peak of their physical fitness, survive in hostile environments and remain calm under fire. It seems, however, that this courage is simply part of who they are. Hundreds of military personnel are sadly injured in the line of duty every year, but many of these go to remarkable efforts to recover and raise money for their wounded comrades. One such soldier is Jonathon Le Galloudec, who was ambushed and shot during a tour of Basra in 2007. The bullet struck his spine, partially paralysing him from the waist down, and his friend Corporal Rodney Wilson was killed. Although Jonathon was rescued and taken to a field hospital, his life was in tatters. Despite being told by doctors he would never walk again, Jonathon took his first steps within months and has recently completed an incredible expedition. He climbed to Everest base-camp, over 5,000m above sea level. The journey was a fundraising mission for charity Help for Heroes, which endeavours to support wounded service men and women in the UK. The charity has recently been involved in the development of Personnel Recovery Centres, working alongside other charities to provide facilities which will support service men and women with their injuries, both physical and mental, for life. On his expedition, Jonathon was joined by his father and 26 other fundraisers. They achieved their objective through teamwork and grim determination; Jonathon often wrote of the pain he was in, but refused to give up. This was because he believed in what he was doing. As a wounded serviceman himself, he knows what it is like for those injured in Iraq, Afghanistan and other conflicts. Jonathon may think that he was just “doing his bit”, but his exploits are truly inspirational.